Anthony sits again, but Nuggets still beat Spurs

SAN ANTONIO(AP) -- After revealing that Carmelo Anthony would miss
a fourth straight game Sunday, Denver Nuggets coach George Karl
joked he would beg the NBA's leading scorer one last time to
play.

They didn't need him. Denver is still winning just fine.

Kenyon Martin scored 27 points and Chauncey Billups had 25
points and 11 assists, leading the Nuggets past the San Antonio
Spurs 103-89 without Anthony, who took another day to rest his
left ankle that he injured more than a week ago.

Denver will likely get Anthony back Monday against Sacramento.
But if not, they'll be OK if they keep playing like this.

"We know how important Melo is to us," Karl said. "But I've
always believed that injuries are windows of opportunity, and I
think our guys have understood that the strategy's going to be a
little different, but we can still be a good team."

In January, the Nuggets were one of the best. They went 12-3 for
the month and 3-1 without Anthony, getting their lone blemish in
a blowout Friday at Oklahoma City that snapped an eight-game
winning streak.

"Most of the sets are run for Melo, so I just make myself more
available," said Martin, whose 27 tied a season high. "I can do
it when he's there, but my job is facilitating."

The Spurs were missing their own star in Tony Parker, who sat
out a second game with a mild left ankle sprain. But unlike
Anthony and Nuggets, San Antonio can use all the help it can
get.

George Hill had 17 points in place of Parker, and the Spurs
finished a disappointing six-game homestand at 2-4. If there was
a season the Spurs needed their annual Rodeo Road Trip to come
together, this would be it.

Parker's timetable for a return is unknown, but San Antonio will
want him back for what comes next: An eight-game, 3 1/2-week
road trip that figures to weigh heavily for the underachieving
Spurs. Once the Spurs get back, they'll have just 12 home games
the remainder of the season.

San Antonio went 8-8 in January and seemed to show that its
problems run deeper than just breaking in a slew of new faces.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has lately deplored the lapses in San
Antonio's usually trademark defense.

Popovich took aim at the offense after this loss.

Denver shot 54 percent from the field and made 9 of 12 from
behind the 3-point arc. The Spurs shot 43 percent, hitting just
three of 17 3-pointers.

"People need to step up and start making shots," Popovich said.

Tim Duncan had 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs. Manu
Ginobili added 14 points. After the game, in a
question-and-answer with season ticket holders on the court,
even Ginobili tried directly reassuring fans things would
improve.

Karl expects Anthony to try and play Monday against the Kings,
when Denver returns home following a three-game road swing.

Before the game, Karl said the expected fast pace of the game
held Anthony out much as anything. He said Anthony still wasn't
comfortable making sharp moves.

Karl was right: The Spurs did push the ball, but the Nuggets ran
away by the end. Antonio McDyess hit a 19-foot jumper with 3:24
left to get the Spurs within 87-85, but the Nuggets scored on
their last seven possessions.

"It was a great trip for us, especially without our best
player," Billups said.

NOTES: Spurs F Michael Finley played for the first time since
Dec. 5, when he injured his left ankle in a loss to Denver the
last time the Nuggets were in town. He missed two shots in 6
minutes. ...The Spurs used their 15th different starting lineup,
with Hill and Roger Mason Jr. starting in the backcourt together
for the first time.